Jacob j



(No Model.)

J. J. BUSENBENZ. VENDING APPARATUS.

No. 430,466. Patented June 17. 1890.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JACOB J. BUSEINBENZ, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOR TO THE UNITED STATES AUTOMATIC 'PERFUMING COMPANY, OF SAME PLACE.

VENDING APPARATUS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 430,466, dated June 17, 1890.

Application filed March 11, 1890.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JACOB J. BUSENBENZ, a citizen of the United States, residing at Chicago, in the countyof Cook and State of Illinois, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Vending Apparatus, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to an improvcmentin the class of vending apparatus in which mechanism is provided for delivering the article or material purchased, and which is arranged for the insertion of a coin representing the price of the purchase to permit the delivery to be effected.

The object of my invention is to provide a simply-constructed apparatus of the kind referred to, which shall be operative on the insertion of the coin (but inoperative without such insertion or the equivalent thereof) to produce the delivery by the gravity of the article or material purchased.

My present improvement contains features of my vending devices for which I have filed applications for Letters Patent as follows: Serial No. 338,948, filed February 3, 1890, and Serial Nos. 341,132 and 341,133, both filed on the 20th day of February, 1890, and, as an especial feature of those set forth in my said former applications, the valve-finger mechanism for controlling the delivery-outlet, which is broadly claimed in the present application.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a view in sectional side elevation of my improved vending apparatus; Fig. 2, a broken sectional view showing details of the construction of the coin-operative piston mechanism for the delivery especially adapted to the purpose of my present form of the apparatus, and Fig. 3 a view in sectional elevation of the vent-valve detail.

A is the box or chamber, which may be provided with a hinged cover 0, with an opening q in its front side, and with a coin-receptacle Within the chamber is supported at the opening q a receptacle B for the material to be vended, (as a liquidsuch as perfume, for the vending of which my present device is particularly intendedor as a dry material, especially in finely-divided condition,) and Serial No. 343,509- (No model.)

the name of which may be provided on a glass sign 0 in the opening q. The upper end of the receptacle B is open and should have the opening in the form of a hollow neck n containin g a vertically-perforated stopper m, into the perforation in which is inserted the vent Z, preferably in the form shown of a tube bent at its end, which extends inside the receptacle to form the seat for a check-valve 1' of light construction. At the base of the receptacle B, as shown, (or near it,) is an opening, preferably in the form of a hollow neck n, containing a perforated stopper m, having a tube m inserted into it.

C isa tube supported in horizontal position within the chamber A, and provided in its upper side with a coin-inlet opening h, and in its base with a coin-outlet slot h farther inward than the opening h, and extended into a slot 7L2, formed longitudinally in the base of the tube. \Vithin the tube C is a hollow piston C, open at its outer or forward end and controlled by a spring o, to extend with its said open end normally into coincidence with the opening it. A plunger-rod 0 projects through the front side of the chamber A lengthwise into the tube C, wherein it is controlled by a confined spring o, and it is provided with a laterally-extending finger s, which projects through a guide-slot 3 formed longitudinally in the side of the tube C. A lever g is fulcrumed at one end to the side of the tube having the slot 5, and extends thence forward along the tube to the normal position of the finger s, where it is provided with a lateral enlargement or cam 5 yieldingly held against the said finger by a spring 8 At a point in the said side of the tube C, which the outer or open end of the piston C reaches at the end of its inward play, is an opening 5 into which extends atooth g projecting from the lever g.

D isa coin-chutecommunicating atits lower end with the opening it in the tube C, and at its opposite end with the insertion-slot D, which may be provided at any suitable part of the chamber A, the form of the slot and chute being such as to permit the coin to be inserted and to pass flatwise through them,

in order that it may enter the tube C in ver- I00 tical position to cover the open end of the piston C. An outlet-pipe F of flexible material-such as rubberextends downward from the neck 41 of the receptacle B through an opening w in the front side of the containing-eha'mber A, and terminates in a suitable nozzle F extending beyond the side of the chamber. A cross-bar f is pivoted at 00 to an extension f from a bearing f and is provided on one side, at opposite sides and equidistant from its pivot, with studs 6, and near its upper end with a stud e, engaged by the forked end of an arm d, extending at its opposite end through the slot 7L2 in the tube 0, wherein it is secured to the piston C.

G and G are fingers supported to permit them to be moved longitudinally one above the other in the bearing f and in the plane of the outlet-tube F, the fingers being controlled by springs c and c confined against them and set by their backward movement, and having longitudinal slots 1) and Z), or guides in their rear ends, at which they are engaged, respectively, by the studs 6.

As shown, the parts are in their normal relative positions, the position of the piston 0 being such as to cause, through the arm (I, the cross-barf to be advanced above its fulcrum, and thereby, through the stud e in the slot Z), to hold the finger G in the position to which it is moved to press against and close the tube F. With the bar f in the position described, the end below its fulcrum is retracted and the spring 0 set subsequently to move the finger G (which, as also the finger G, I term a valvefinger) forward against the outlet-tube.

The operation is as follows: The receptacle B being provided with a supply of the material to be vended, say perfume, in a quantity which should not extend above the valveseat is, the coin c, as a penny, inserted into the slot falls through the-chute D into the tube 0 at the opening h, where it forms a cover or head for the open end of the piston, permitting the latter to be moved by forcing inward the spring-plunger 0 but which would have no effect upon the piston until provided with a head such as is afforded by the inserted coin. Then the apparatus is prepared to cause the delivery mechanism to operate by pressing inward the plunger-rod G which pushes the piston toward the inner end of the tube 0, with its outer (open) end past the lug g, which then enters an aperture 3 in the piston and stops its return by the resilience of the spring Q1, compressed by the action of the piston. The further result of inward pressure exerted at the button of the rod 0 is by the consequent movement of the piston to cause the arm (Z to move and retract the upper portion of the cross-bar f. This moves the stud e to the rear end of the slot 1) in the finger Gwithout moving the latter, and the stud e of the finger G toward the forward end of the slot Z), also without thereby moving the finger, which, however, does then move forward, (as permitted by the advance in its slot 79 of the stud,) under the resilient force of the spring 0, which was set or compressed by previous retraction of the finger G. Thus, as the inward movement of the piston C proceeds from its initial or normal position, there is some lost motion with reference to the valvefinger G, owing to the inoperative movement of'the stud in its slot, as there also would be with reference to the lower valve-finger G were it not that its spring 0 by resilience advances it as the stud moves forward in the slot 1), and causes it to engage with the tube F before the latter isopened by retraction of the upper finger G, which is produced by engagement of the upper stud c with the rear end of the slot 1) in the continued or further backward movement of the arm cl, and sets the spring a to act by its resilience when released, all in the manner described of the spring 0. When the tube F is relieved of the obstruction produced by the upper valvefinger in its advanced position, it becomes filled by gravity from the receptacleB to the stoppage produced by the advanced valvefinger G, and the quantity in the length of the tube between the two valve-fingers is intended to be the equivalent of the purchaseprice in the form of the inserted coin. To cause the discharge or delivery of the material so purchased, the operator (purchaser) releases the plunger-rod G which is then retracted by the resilience of its spring 0), freeing the coin E, advanced with the inward movement of the piston to the outlet-opening 7L, through which it drops into the coin-receptacle p, and in the outward movement of the plunger-rod its laterally-projecting finger 3 trips the lever g, thereby removing the lug'g from the path of the piston, which is then returned to its normal position (ready to be again actuated for the delivery when another coin is inserted) by the resilient action of its controlling-spring o. \Vith the return of the piston the cross-bar f is moved to its normal IIO position illustrated, in acquiring which it moves the upper stud e in the slot 1) forward, permitting the coaction of the spring 0 to advance the valve-finger G for closing the tube F above the point below which the supply of material to be delivered is contained, and the lower stud e backward in the slot 1) with lost motion till it reaches the rear end of the slot, when it retracts the lower valve-finger, (thus after the upper one has advanced to close the tube F,) permitting its contents below the upper valve-finger under the influence of a proper vent a to escape through the nozzle F, where they may be caught, as by the application of a handkerchief, if perfumery is the material vended. Whenever the pressure above the contents in the receptacle B is reduced below that of the exterior atmospheric pressure, the latter equalizes it by entering the receptacle past the valve 2.

WVhat I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. In a coin-operated Vendingv apparatus,

the combination, with a containing-chamber provided with a coin-insertion slot leading to the delivery mechanism, of a receptacle for the material to be vended having an outletpipe of yielding material leading to the point of delivery, and delivery mechanism actuated by a plunger-rod and having spring-controlled valve-fingers G and G, supported to coincide in different planes with the outlet-pipe and actuated by the reciprocating movements of the plunger-rod alternately to be extended against to close and to be retracted from to open the outlet-pipe, substantially as described.

2. I11 a coin-operated vending apparatus, the combination, with a containing-chamber provided with a coin-insertion slot leading to the delivery mechanism, of a receptacle for the material to be vended, having an outletpipe of yielding material leading to the point of delivery, and delivery mechanism actuated byaplunger-rod,andhaving spring-controlled valve-fingers G and G, provided with longitudinal slots 1) and Z), and a cross-bar f, c011- trolled from the said plunger-rod and engaging with the valve-fingers at their slots, the said valve-fingers being supported to coincide in different planes with the outlet-pipe, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

3. In a coin-operated vending apparatus, the combination, with a containing-chamber provided with a coin-insertion slot leading to the delivery mechanism, of a receptacle for the material to be vended, having an outletpipe of yielding material leading to the point of delivery, and delivery mechanism actuated by a spring-controlled plunger-rod, and having valve-fingers G and G, provided with springs c and c, and longitudinal slots b and b, a cross-bar f, controlled from the said plunger-rod and fulcrumed between its extremities and provided with studs e at opposite sides of its fulcrum engaging with the said slots, the said valve-fingers being supported to coincide in dilferent planes with the outlet-pipe, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

4. In a coin-operated vending apparatus, the combination, with a containing-chamber A, provided with a coin-insertion slot, of a receptacle B, for the material to be vended, having an outlet-pipe F, of yielding material, leading from the lower portion of the receptacle out of the chamber, whereby the contents of the receptacle may discharge through it by gravity, a tube 0, having a coin-inlet h, conli'nunicating with the insertion slot through a chute D, and a coin-outlet 7t, and containing a spring-controlled hollow piston 0 open at one end normally at the inlet h, a spring plunger-rod 0 extending into the tube C, and spring-controlled valve-fingers G and G, connected with the piston O and actuated by the movements of the plungerrod, substantially as described.

5. In a coin-operated vending apparatus, the combination, with a containing-chamber A, provided with a coin-insertion slot, of a receptacle B, for the material to be vended, having an outlet-pipe F, of yielding material, leading from the lower portion of the receptacle of the chamber, whereby the contents of the receptacle may discharge through it by gravity, a tube 0, having a coin-inlet h, communicating with the insertion slot through a chute D, a coin-outlet h, and an opening 3 and containing a spring-controlled hollow piston C, open at one end normally at the inlet h, a spring plunger-rod '0 eX- tending into the tube 0, and provided with a lateral finger s, guided in the tube, a lever g, having a lug g, extending into the opening .9 and a cam's and spring-controlled valve-fingers G and G, connected with the piston C, and actuated by the movements of the plunger, substantially as described.

6. A coin-operated vending apparatus, comprising, in combination, a chamber A, provided with a coin-insertion slot and containing a receptacle B, vented in its upper portion and communicating from its lower por tion through a flexible vented pipe F, with the discharge-nozzle F, a tube 0, having a coin-inlet 7L, communicating with the insertion-slot through a chute D, a coin-outlet h', and an opening 8 and containing a springcontrolled hollow piston 0, open at one end normally at the inlet h, and a lever g, having a lug 9', extending into the opening 5 anda coin 8 a spring plunger-rod 0, extending into the tube 0, and provided with a lateral finger s, guided in the tube, and spring-controlled valve-fingers G and G, connected with the piston C, and actuated by the movements of the plunger-rod, substantially as described.

JACOB J. BUSENBENZ.

In presence of- .I. W. DYRENFORTH, M. J. Fnosr. 

